As Nikon and Atomos have announced, the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 full-frame mirrorless cameras will output RAW video signal via HDMI and the Atomos Ninja V will record it in high-quality ProRes RAW format. During CP+ we spoke with Shoji-san from Nikon, about this new capability. Please note that CP+ is a local show taking place in Japan and as such, most Japanese company representatives speak Japanese only. We chose to highlight this subject and bring you the video in Japanese with English subtitles. (Please turn CC on if needed)
As you might already know, in January 2019 Nikon and Atomos have announced that the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 full-frame mirrorless cameras will be able to output RAW signal through HDMI and the Atomos Ninja V recorder will be able to record that stream as a high-quality ProRes RAW video. My colleague Olaf wrote a nice article about the announcement titled “Why Atomos ProRes RAW Recording for Nikon Z7 and Z6 Could Change our Industry”. Give it a read if you haven’t already.
Shoji-san states that Nikon received feedback from their pro photographers, who are being asked to also shoot video next to photo, by their clients, nowadays. That’s why Nikon decided to include pro video features in their cameras. As the company does not have any cinema cameras range to protect, they can include whatever innovative feature they can, in their mirrorless cameras.
At the moment, both Nikon cameras record in 8-bit H.264 internally and up to 10-bit with N-log externally in ProRes 4:2:2. Soon, these cameras will be able to output 12-bit RAW signal and the Atomos Ninja V will record the footage into ProRes RAW. The function was developed together with Atomos. We didn’t get any information on when exactly the RAW output will be available, yet.
One important piece of information Shoji-san did share with us (without disclosing too much about future plans), is that Nikon is closely looking at the possibility of including high-quality internal recording in their future cameras. Reading between the lines, we won’t be surprised if some sort of internal high quality recording will be available within a reasonable timeframe…
What do you think of Nikon cameras outputting high-quality RAW signal? Would you consider buying one of their cameras because of the new feature? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.

Apple’s newly announced ProRes RAW (to be covered in a separate article shortly) will immediately be supported by Atomos’s top-of-the-line recorders, the Shogun Inferno and the Sumo19 via free upgrades. What ProRes RAW actually is? Read on!
What is ProRes RAW?
ProRes RAW is a much more manageable and editable flavor of RAW, just like other ProRes codecs. ProRes RAW files can be imported directly into Final Cut Pro 10.4.1 for speedy cut, color, and polish on Mac systems.
Atomos – the Enabler for ProRes RAW Recording
The hills are alive with the sound of ProRes RAW, and Atomos has heard it. Apple has a new format, and it’s everybody’s darling. The malleable nature of RAW and the beauty and (and necessity of) ProRes are together at long last, and Atomos has you covered. The ProRes RAW update will be available free for the Atomos Shogun Inferno and Sumo 19 devices, and ProRes RAW will be exclusive on Atomos recorders in the beginning. You get an update…and you get an update! Atomos boasts the only monitor recorders to offer ProRes RAW, with direct from sensor, realtime recording out of Panasonic, Sony, and Canon cameras.
Of the announcement, Atomos CEO Jeromy Young said:
“We are incredibly proud to be the first ProRes RAW enabled product in the market, and it’s free for our customers. The performance and flexibility of ProRes RAW means a huge leap forward for video production.”
ProRes RAW – For which cameras?
Eight cine cameras with RAW output, that’s who. More to come, but right now, you’ll be happy to know that Canon C300k Mark II/C500 and Sony FS5/FS7/FS7 II as well as the FS700 are included. Also in that pack are the Panasonic AU-EVA1 and the Varicam LT – in case of the EVA1, that means ProRes RAW with a mighty impressive 5.7K resolution is supported, which is what that camera outputs.
Upgrade your Shogun Inferno or your Sumo19, and you’ll watch and record ProRes RAW, this newly developed edit-ready compressed RAW codec easily (on Final Cut Pro X’s new update, to be released on April 8)
ProRes RAW performance compared to other ProRes codecs
A More Usable RAW, 12-bit Color Depth, Shorter Render Times
If you’ve cut RAW in the past, you know the processing can be slow, but ProRes RAW via Atomos SSDs takes the clunk out of working with RAW. If you own one of these devices, you know the time that those SSDs save you and the headache they remove from media management. Now they’re all that much sweeter with 2 new compression levels: ProRes RAW (same data rate as ProRes 422 HQ) and ProRes RAW HQ (same data rate as ProRes 4444XQ), both allowing 12-bit depth to hold onto your dynamic range, so HDR finishing also gets a boost with this update.
What also makes it more usable are shorter render times – it’s supposedly 5.7 times faster to render than Redcode RAW 3:1, and still 1.5 times faster than Canon C200 RAW Lite.
Here’s some footage recorded in ProRes RAW:
High Speed Recording
Atomos can record ProRes RAW up to 2K at 240 frames a second, or 4K at up to 120 frames per second. Higher resolutions out of certain camera bodies are also supported, such as 5.7K from the Panasonic AU-EVA1.
ProRes RAW in AtomOS 9
The Atomos Operating System, AtomOS 9, fully supports ProRes RAW in a portable package. The Atomos devices paired with their OS changes your onset playback game. As always with the Atomos recorders, simply pull the SSD out and dock to your Mac over Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C 3.1 for lightening quick post…only this time you’ll have ProRes RAW!
When Can You Have it?
Mere days! Download the free AtomOS 9 update for Shogun Inferno and Sumo 19 from April 9th from the Atomos website. A firmware update is also coming for the DJI Zenmuse X7 camera to support ProRes RAW (we will cover this in a separate post). Atomos however, will be the only company supporting ProRes RAW in camera recorders for the time being.
Will you be upgrading your Shogun Inferno or Sumo19 to try out ProRes RAW recording? Or if you don’t have one yet, is this what you were waiting for to get a Shogun Inferno for your kit?

Here’s an interesting Kickstarter campaign that will provide options for CFast users. The C-Box System allows SSD drives to be used as cheap CFast media.
CFast cards are the recording medium of choice for many professional cameras, especially those that shoot 4K (Blackmagic URSA, URSA Mini, Canon C300 mkII, etc.). But they’re currently expensive in comparison to regular Compact Flash or SD cards.
Well, there’s a new Kickstarter campaign that could provide an alternative to CFast cards. The C-Box System is a dual-SSD bay with an adapter cable that connects to the CFast ports in the camera. Since the C-Box connects directly to the CFast ports, and not to a SDI or HDMI port, it’s not sending out a video signal. Since it’s not an external recorder it isn’t limited to a different set of recording options. You can record all of the cameras native recording formats. It’s also worth noting that any SSD drive can be used; there are no proprietary drives. It receives power either through an Anton Bauer or V-Lock 5V plug (2.1 x 5.5mm).
If funding goals are met the C-Box System will start shipping in August for a retail price of $499.95. For more information check out their Kickstarter page.
C-Box System Features
Dual SSD Bay
Uncompressed Footage: Record at any of your cameras native recording formats
Plug and Play: No camera modifications required
1/4” Screw Thread for Rig Mounting
Use any SSD
Powered by Anton Bauer/V-Lock 5V
What’s Included
One (1) Dual-SSD Bay C-Box System
One (1) 2.1mm x 5.5mm DC to USB Cable
One (1) 2.1mm x 5.5mm DC to DC Cable
Two (2) SSD Spacers (for 7mm SSD’s)
One (1) “I Helped Launch C-Box” Sticker
One (1) User Guide With Special Thanks Information